998 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 526

in a daily newspaper published in the city or cities, county
or counties, which the Commission shall determine may be
directly affected by the proposed appropriation or use, or
construction, reconstruction or repair. The County Com-
missioners of each such county, the Mayor or Chief Execu-
tive officials of each such city and the proper officials of
any interested agency of the State, or political subdivision
thereof, shall also be notified by the applicant by regis-
tered mail. In the public notice of such application, the
date, place and time fixed by the Commission for the
public hearing on said application shall be stated. At
such public hearing, the applicant and any other interested
person or corporation, municipal or private, shall be given
an opportunity to present facts, evidence and arguments
for or against the granting of said application. In case
of emergency, or the making of minor repairs, the Com-
mission may, upon written or oral application, grant ap-
plications to repair any reservoir, dam or water-way ob-
struction without notice or hearing; provided, however,
that repairs necessary to save life or property may be made
without such application, but notice thereof shall be given
promptly to the Commission.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That before act-
ing on any application the Commission shall weigh all
of the respective advantages and disadvantages to the
public and shall make all appropriate investigations. If
the Commission shall be of the opinion from all of the
evidence before it that, in pursuance of the policy of the
State regarding its water resources herein declared,
the plans of the applicant provide for the greatest
practicable utilization of the waters of the State and will
adequately preserve public safety and will promote the
general public welfare it shall grant the permit to appro-
priate or to use the waters, or to construct, reconstruct
or repair the proposed reservoir, dam, or water-way ob-
struction, or to accomplish any combination of these ob-
jects. But if the Commission be of the opinion, from
the evidence before it, that the proposed appropriation
or use of State waters or that the proposed construction
is inadequate, wasteful, dangerous, impracticable, or will
be detrimental to the best public interest, the Commission
may reject such application or it may suggest such modi-
fications of the proposed plans as it deems sufficient to
protect the public welfare and safety. In granting any
permit authorizing any use or appropriation of water, or
the construction or alteration of any reservoir, dam or